Lawn mower blade



y 2, 1946' w.- H. PHELPS 2,403,236

LAWN MOWER BLADE Filed Aug. 27, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1946- w. H. PHELPS 2,403,236

LAWN MOWER BLADE Filed Aug. 27, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1946- w. H. PHELPS 2,403,236

LAWN MOWER BLADE Filed Aug. 27, 1945 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 mamu i a 2,403,238 LAwN owi-m BLADE William H. Phelps, Balaton, Nebr. Application August 27, 1943, Serial No. 500,213

One of my objects is to provide improvements in lawn mowers of the type having a substantially horizontally disposed cutting blade carried by a substantially, vertically disposed rotating shaft, to the end of rendering the mower better adapted for its purpose and more particularly for the cutting of tall grass and weeds.

Another, more specific, object is to provide means whereby the accurate vertical adjustment of the blade for the cutting of the grass or weeds close to the ground or at selected distances from the ground, may be affected; and of such construction that the lower bearing for the vertical shaft carrying the blade shall be maintained at a predetermined distance from the blade, regardless of the vertical adjustment of the blade, thereby permitting the shaft to be provided of much smaller diameter, to avoid springing of the shaft, than in the case of constructions wherein the distance from the blade to the lower bearing varies according to the elevation to which the blade is adjusted.

Another object is to provide a construction of blade of the type above referred to whereby in its operation there is no tendency of the blade to lift at high speeds or lower as the speed decreases.-

Another object is to provide a construction of blade of the type above referred to whereby the blade may be used in either of two positions to perform the cutting operation, thereby being reversible.

' 4 Claims. (01. 56-295) irregular line 4-4 on Fig. 1 and 'viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cutting blade of the machine.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modification of the machine of the preceding figures of the drawings; and

Figure 7, a broken view machine of Fig. 6. s

Referring to the construction of machine shown in Figs. 15, it comprises a platform 8 having a buffer strip 9 of resilient material at its front end. The platform 8 is supported on a pair of axles l8 provided with ground wheels I journaled thereon, the platform being provided with a handle member formed of parallel handle-bars |2 pivoted to the platform at l3, and connected together at their outer ends by a cross member (not shown).

Journaled on, the platform 8 is a vertically disposed shaft |4, driven as hereinafter described, and provided on its lower end, beneath the platform 8, with a horizontal metal cutter blade l5 secured between its ends to the shaft H by lock in side elevation of the 2:; nuts I6 and I1 on the shaft.

Another object is to provide in a mechanism 8 for translating power, through an endless belt especially of the V-type, from a drive member to a driven member disposed at an angle to said drive member and closely adjacent thereto and which involves a twisted condition of the belt, for the accurate aligning of the belt with relation to said members to insure the proper engagement of the reaches of the belt with said members, particularly to the end of preventing disengagement of the belt from said membersand producing the maximum effective driving of the driven member; and other objects as will be understood from the following description:

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a lawn mower embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a broken 'view in side elevation of the machine of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the machine.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the machine, partly in section, the section being taken at the The shaft I4 is shown as driven, to rotate the blade l5, by means of a power device l8, as for example an internal combustion engine, mounted on the platform 8 with its shaft l9 substantially horizontal. The driving of the shaft 4 by the power device It is effected through the medium of an endless belt 20, preferably of the V-type, which is trained about a pulley 2| fixed on. the shaft IS, a pulley 22 fixed on the shaft 4 and a pair of idler pulleys 23 and 24, the idler pulley 23, being joumaled on the shaft l9 and the idler pulley 24 journaled on the platform 8 at the side of the pulley 22 opposite that at which the pulleys 2| and 23 are located; in the particular arrangement shown the pulleys 2| and 23 being spaced apart a distance substantially equal t the diameter of the pulley 22; the pulleys 2|, 22, 23 and 24 being of the same diameter; the upper edge portions of the pulleys 2| and 23 being in substantially the same horizontal plane as the pulley 22, and the lower edge portions of the pulleys 2| and 23 being in substantially the same horizontal plane as the pulley 24.

As will be understood from the drawings, the belt 20, in accordance with the particular arrangement shown, extends from the pulley 2|, thence to and partially around the pulley 22 and partially around the idler pulley 23 from which it extends to and partially around the idlerpulley 24 and back to the pulley 2|.

tending headed studs 26a over which are looped the ends of a pair of tensioning springs 29 which serve to tension the belt 20.

The shaft I4 is shown as journaled on the platform 8 by means of a vertical tube 30 extending downwardly through an opening 3| in the platform 8 and rigidly held in vertically adjusted position by a split clamping head 32 through which the tube 30 extends, the head 32, by way of example, comprising a split metal casting bored about .006" larger than the external diameter of the tube. The clamping head 32. is shown as secured, at a flange 33 thereon, to theplatform 8 by bolts 34, and at its split portion has opposed ears 35 in which a clamp screw 36 for tightening the clamp about the tube 30, is provided. Bej-.

tween the tube 30] and the shaft I4 are upper and lower ball-bearings 3,1,.and 38respectively, these bearings, make a pressed fit withthe shaft M to prevent relative vertical movement of the bearings and this shaft, being pressed into sockets 39- and 40 in the upper and lower ends; of the tube to prevent vertical movement ,of the bearings in the tube.

The cutting blade I is shown asformed of a straight bar beveled along its longitudinal edges, adjacent each end of the. bar from opposite faces of the bar, to present ateach end of the bar cutting edge portions 4| and 42 in the planes of the opposite faces of the bar.

The cutting blade |5alsopresents at its oppowhich the opposite faces of the'blade extend, these cutting edge portions beingformedby beveling the blade from its 'opposite'face's toward the extremities of the blade.

rod 48 connected with the cross piece 49 of the yoke 41 and slidable in an opening 50 in an upstanding flange 5| of a bracket 52 secured to the platform 8, and a coil spring 53 surrounding the rod 48 and hearing at one end against the flange 5| of the bracket and at its opposite end against a stop-washer 54 on the outer end of the rod 48.

The feature of providing the vertically adjustable tube with which the shaft 4 and blade I5 are adjustable vertically as a unit, is of practical advantage as the blade I5 in all positions of vertical adjustment is maintained at the same distance from the lower bearing 38, thereb permitting of the use of a shaft l4 of much smaller diameter than in those cases where this distance varies in the different positions of vertical adjustment of the blade l5.

The provision of the blade |5 as a straight bar is of advantage'as the entire mass of the blade .is in the same plane as the point of application thereto of the force for driving it, whereby there is no tendency of the blade to rise at high speeds and'lower when the speed decreases. Furthermore, this feature of the blade in connection with itscutting'edges 4| and 42 adjacent oppositefaces of the blade, affords another advantage l in that it permits the blade to' be used in either site terminal end edge p rtions cutting edge por-L tions 43 and 44 inclining relative to the planes in The cutting. portions 43' and ,I' ,44" are 1- provided for the purpose of exerting abutting" action' ;on most of the vegetation cut by the longitudinal cutting portions of the blade, and particularly in co-operation with amulching board 45 depend ing, close to the cutting portions 43 and 44, from the underside of the platform at its oil side, serve to produce a flne mulch by hammer mill action against the mulching board. Y

The constructionshown in Figs. 6 and 7' is the same as that shown in Figs. 1-5, except that the idler pulley 24 instead of being associated with tensioning means as in the case of the idler pulley in Figs. 1-5, ismounted on a stationary post represented at4 6;'the-id1er pulley 23, in-

stead of being journaled' on the'sha ftlii is journaled on a movable mounting having associated therewith spring-tensioning'means for maintain- I positionsof the pulleys 22' and 24 relative to the upperand-lower portions of the" pulleys 2| and"23', .*as describedlwith refing the belt taut; and-the 'erence to the constructionshowni 1--5', are reversed; the. mounting for/ thei idler pulley 23 and the tensioningmeans fcoznprising a-yoke 41 in'which the idler pulley 2'3fi'sjournalled, a

of two positions; thus being reversible on the shaft carrying it to permit the two sets of longitudinal-cutting portions 4| and 42 to be used selectively.-

The provision of endless belt power translating mechanism as shown and described, and involving the translation of power from a drive member toa drive member disposed at an angle thereto, particularly at a right angle, is of great advantage as it makes possible the straight entry of the belt into all of the pulleys even where the cutting portion inclining relative to the planes in; which the opposite faces of the blade extend,

one of the longitudinal edges of the blade ad- 'jacent' an end of the blade provided with a. cutting portion extending lengthwise of the'blade.

2. A straight mower blade adapted to be rotated about its center in a horizontal plane, a

portion of the'leading edge portion of each arm of the blade being chamfered upwardly and rear- Wardly to form a bottom cutting edge, and the free terminal edge portions of said arms being chamfered to form upwardly and rearwardly inclined cutting edges.

3. A blade as specified in claim 2, in which inclined cutting edges are disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the blade.

4. A straight mower blade for support and rotation about a substantially vertical axis, one of the lower longitudinal edges of the blade having a straight cutting portion, and the terminal edge portion of said blade being sharpened to form a cutting edge which is inclined'u pwardly and rearwardly from the plane and direction of rotation of said blade.

WILLIAM H. PHELPS. 

